Chapter 1: Historical context of the UK political system Flashcards
Define unmodified constitution.
When the rules and laws for governing a country are not collated in one single document but are found in various.
What does ‘Habeas Corpus’ mean?
A process in which means a person can appeal to the courts against unfair or illegal imprisonment.
What does trial by jury mean?
The idea that a group of 12 peers would hear the evidence in a case and decide whether the accused is guilty.
What does trial by ordeal mean?
The medieval practice of putting the accused through an ordeal to determine guilt, such as burning their hand and waiting to see how well it healed.
Define the term ‘Chancellor of the Exchequer’.
The government official responsible for calculating, collecting and distributing government funds through taxation and duties.
What is meant by the Houses of Commons?
The chamber where elected members of the UK parliament sit.
What is meant by the Houses of Lords?
The second, unelected chamber of the UK parliament.
What is the Palace of Westminster?
Originally the royal palace attached to Westminster Hall, today it is the seat of government and comprises Westminster Hall, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
What does the French term Parker mean?
to speak.
What is parliament?
The British legislative body that is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and the Monarchy.
What is Westminster Hall?
A large chamber in Westminster where all the Norman kings would meet with nobility.
What is an Act of Parliament?
Laws that have been formally passed by parliament and have been given royal assent by the monarch.
What is the definition of a codified constitution?
A single, authoritative document that sets out the rules and laws by which a state is governed, and protects the rights of its citizens.
What is sovereignty?
The control of power and the ability to distribute and reclaim it in a political system.
What is the Declaration of Rights?
A statement of the rights of the subject which also declared that the monarch could not act without the consent of parliament.
